Locals in Dohar upazila of Dhaka dumping sandbags into the Padma River to protect an embankment from onslaught of the river. The photo was taken on Sunday. photo: Observer

Erosion by Padma River in Dohar upazila of Munshiganj and at Charbagdanga union under Chapainawabganj Sadar upazila has taken a serious turn, making at least 90 families homeless.Moreover, a number of structures at Kairapara and Maldanga villages, including Charbagdanga UP Complex and a portion of the embankment built at a cost of Taka 300 crore, may be eroded by the river anytime, said locals.Jamal Uddin, a UP member, said his house was at Bakher Ali village under the same union and he shifted his house to Roadpara as the erosion of the river Padma devoured it in 1996."But again, that dwelling was eroded by the river two years back," he said, adding his new house where he is living now is also facing the threat of erosion.Hasenur Begum, a resident of the same village, said she had to shift her house twice due to erosion during the last 20 years. She said, "Now I do not have ability to shift my house anywhere."Sohel Rana Mukul, a resident of Malbagdanga village, said, "My two mango orchards on 10 bighas of land was washed away by the mighty river this year.Chairman of Charbagdanga union parishad Shahid Rana Tipu said a number of important infrastructures, such as UP complex, a madrasha, a government primary school, office of Palli Bidyut Samity are at the risk of erosion.He said, "The river has grabbed about one kilometre area of the locality in the last one year."Executive Engineer of the Water Development Board in Chapainawabganj Syed Shahidul Alam acknowledged that the erosion of the river Padma washed away more than 100 houses, mango orchards and agricultural land during the last two years. At least 200 families lost their houses in the last two days in three upazilas of Kurigram district as floodwater started to recede, triggering soil erosion.Around 200 houses of Razibpur, Rajarhat and Chilmari upazilas were washed away by the floodwater following the erosion, said the sources at district administration. With the flood situation started to improve in many areas of the district, flood-affected people have been facing scarcity of pure drinking water.Although the water of Dharala and Teesta has receded, Brahmaputra was flowing six centimetres over the danger mark at Chilmari point. In Sirajganj, flood situation remained unchanged as the water of the Jamuna River was flowing 68 centimetres above the danger mark on Sunday morning.Nearly 300,000 people are now marooned as flood situation in Moulvibazar's haor region has deteriorated with new areas go under water following heavy rains and onrush of water from the upstream Indian state of Assam.The district's Deputy Commissioner Tofayel Islam told bdnews24.com that the condition worsened since Saturday afternoon after water levels rose in Kushiara River, Hakaluki Haor and Kauadighi Haor.Nearly 300,000 people are still trapped in the flood-ravaged areas while more than 100 schools are closed.Islam said the number of flood-affected people would increase as fresh areas were going under water.River Kushiara was flowing 14cm above the danger level at Sherpur point and 69cm at Sheola point on Sunday morning, said Bijoy Indra Shankar Chakrabarty, the Executive Engineer at Moulvibazar Water Development Board.He said the water level at Kauadighi's Kashimpur area at Rajnagar Upazila was at 20cm above the danger level and 30cm at Buri Kiari area of Hakaluki.The district's Assistant Primary Education Officer Kishal Chakrabarty said 46 schools were closed due to flood at Baralekha, 40 at Kulaura, 15 at Juri, 14 at Rajnagar and four at Moulvibazar Sadar."However, fifteen schools are closed because those are being used as shelters for the flood-affected people," he added.Local agricultural extension department's Deputy Director Md Shahjahan said water from Hakaluki and Kauadighi haors have led to the damage of Aman paddy and seedbed in more than 2,600 hectors of land."The flood had earlier destroyed the Boro paddy, and now Aman is affected. The water has also damaged vegetables grown in over 100 hectors of land."Meanwhile, in Gaibandha, huge amount of fishes worth of Tk 1.15 crore of 336 ponds here have been washed away due to the current flood triggered by hilly waters from the upstream.Fisheries department sources said many farmers of Sundarganj, Sadar, Fulchhari and Shaghata upazilas released fingerlings of carp species fishes into their ponds to get desired output.But, the current flood in the Brahmaputra river basin of the upazilas smashed the hopes and aspiration of the farmers as the carp fishes like rui, katla, mrigel, bata musa and mono-sex telapia have been washed away from their ponds. —Agencies